MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 5, 2007--Qwest Communications is committed to helping Minnesota families surf safer and smarter on the Internet. Qwest is offering the Online Safety Certification Activity and Grant Program to help Minnesota parents and guardians learn how to keep their kids safer online. Parents can help their child's school earn a $1,000 grant by becoming online-safety certified.

Qwest has created a coalition of key leaders who are united to raise awareness in Minnesota. This group is calling for 10,000 Minnesota parents and guardians to become informed within one year about online safety issues and prevention tips through the Qwest Connected Family Online Classroom.

Tips, quizzes and expert information about safer Internet use from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and other law enforcement and educational leaders can be found in the Qwest Connected Family Online Classroom at www.incredibleinternet.com/onlinesafety.

Families can take the first step in learning about online safety and become certified by completing an easy-to-follow online safety course and then taking the Parent Safety-Net Test. To encourage more parents to learn about Internet safety and get certified, Qwest will donate a $1,000 grant to each of the 20 Minnesota schools that have the highest percentage of parents and guardians certified by April 30, 2007.

"As a leader in online safety education, Qwest is challenging Minnesota parents and guardians to become online-safety certified," said John Stanoch, Qwest Minnesota state president. "We added an incentive by designating $20,000 to Minnesota schools to encourage families to participate."

To participate in the Qwest Online Safety Grant Program, a parent or school administrator must do the following:

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Qwest Communications International

Qwest offers a unique and powerful combination of managed voice and data solutions for businesses, government agencies and consumers - locally and throughout the country. Customers coast to coast are turning to Qwest's industry-leading national fiber optic network and its Spirit of Service for quality products and superior customer experience. Qwest is a participant in Networx, the largest communications services contract in the world, to provide leading-edge voice, data and video services. For more information on Qwest, and its various operating subsidiaries, please go to www.qwest.com. For information about the products and services Qwest is offering in the Networx contract, visit www.gsanetworx.com. The Qwest logo is a registered trademark of Qwest Communications International Inc. in the U.S. and certain other countries.

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